SIMS 290: Effective Project Management

Fall 2006
Schedule Assignments Lectures Resources		Instructors Barbara Stone (bstone@sims.berkeley.edu) Jodie Mathies (jmathies@sims.berkeley.edu) We are both graduates of SIMS, certified PMPs, and working project/program managers. We have business experience in IT, banking, real estate, and education. Our teaching experience ranges from an e-commerce class at Haas to spearheading training and compliance at a Fortune 200. Click on our names to see our resumes.
Schedule Assignments Lectures Resources		Course Philosophy We believe that the most interesting, cutting-edge work happens within the context of a project. The fact that projects are often charting new courses represents the appeal and risk of becoming project managers. While each project is unique, there are common tools and techniques that can be applied to managing the work to a (usually) successful conclusion. These tools include strong team building, negotiation, and planning. There are industry standards and vocabulary that can be learned to make transitioning between different organizations as a project manager much easier. We will teach the standards and how to apply them based on the needs of each project. We believe the number one adjective to apply to all successful project managers is flexible. We may not be able to teach someone to be flexible, but we can give them enough samples, examples, and stories to have a large arsenal to draw on in managing projects.
		Class Meetings & Office Hours Class meets on Wednesdays from 2:00-4:00 in 110 South Hall. The format of the class will be a mix of lectures, class discussions and project management exercises. Office Hours will be Wednesdays, 111 South Hall, 4:00-5:00 p.m. or by appointment.
		Grading Grading will be 70% on assignments and 30% on in-class work.
		Readings and Books Getting Started in Project Management, by Paula Martin and Karen Tate The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni Agile Estimating and Planning, by Mike Cohn Additional readings will be assigned in class. Students will be required to join Gantthead, to be used as a course resource.